Tabliyit Massaad

On first impressions Tabliyit Massaad (also known as Massaad Express) does have the mien of a fast food restaurant, with its bright lights and gaudily hued walls – but you’d be wrong to dismiss it as such. This popular chain is cheerful and certainly cheap, but the epic sandwiches it serves up on its trademark wooden boards (the Tabliye that give it its name) are a cut above your average street fare. The recipes come with unexpected grace notes (toasted sesame seeds, anyone?) and the portions are filling, whether you opt for a simple sandwich or the entire platter (which includes fries and coleslaw). The recently opened Gemmayzeh branch handily saves Beirutis on a post-booze sustenance mission the trouble of venturing out to Zahle.